Postdoctoral scholarship in Structural biology of neurodegeneration

Description of the project

A postdoctoral fellowship is available in the laboratory of Dr. Jonathan Gilthorpe at the Department of Medical Translational Biology. The multidisciplinary project is part collaboration with Prof. Gerhard Gröbner, Department of Chemistry at Umeå University and Prof. David Andrews at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada, combining molecular, structural and cell biology approaches to understand neurodegenerative disease. The research aims to decipher a specific molecular interaction that has implications for both neurodegeneration in ALS and in cancer, including how protein-protein interaction may modulate cell metabolism, promote protein aggregation and lead to neurotoxicity, or transformation/metastasis.

The successful applicant will use biophysical methods (CD, MST, NMR and Neutron-Reflectometry) to define protein structure in vitro together with functional analyses to investigate the readout of protein-protein interaction in cell models (cancer cell lines, patient stem cell derived neurons etc.).

The applicant will be expected to independently within the framework of the ongoing project, planning and conducting research, maintaining scientific records, summarizing, and presenting data at meetings and in papers etc. Where possible, they should also contribute to other intersectional lines of research within the research constellation and will be encouraged to actively develop relevant lines of research to further their postdoctoral career development.

Eligibility

A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate in either biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology or a related subject is eligible for appointment as postdoctoral researcher. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the admission decision is made.

The applicant must have good experience of laboratory work and method development. Practical expertise in protein purification, protein chemistry, molecular biology, cell culture, immunostaining techniques and microscopy are desired. Prior experience in analysis of cellular bioenergetics (Seahorse) and metabolomic data is advantageous.

Additional useful qualifications

Since postdoctoral researcher is a career-development position for junior researchers, we are primarily interested in applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, an applicant who has completed their degree earlier than that may be considered. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, appointments of trust for a trade union organisation or other similar circumstances, and for relevant duties/assignments within the subject area.

More information about the group's research can be found on our website (www.umu.se/en/staff/jonathan-gilthorpe) and via the departmental website (www.umu.se/en/department-of-medical-and-translational-biology).

Application

The application must include:

• A brief description of your research interests and a statement describing why you are interested in the position.
• CV
• List of publications
• Degree certificate from doctoral studies and other relevant degrees
• Contact details of two reference persons

Submit your application as a PDF marked with the reference number FS 2.1.6-860-24, both in the file name and in the subject field of the email, to medel@diarie.umu.se. The application can be written in English or Swedish. Application deadline is 10 June 2024. 

We look forward to receiving your application.